Free School Meals

Summer holiday provision

Please see the summer free school meals and activities brochure below for the Summer Holidays.

Free School Meals

At Chosen Hill School we operate a catering system designed to give anonymity to any pupil who is eligible for free school meals. Each day Free School meal children will have a daily allowance of £2.35 which will appear in their dinner money account just like all the other pupils’ money. It is not carried over each day, so it can’t be banked to use on other days. The allowance must be spent at lunchtime on a meal deal. This can be a hot meal, a pasta pot or cold option such as a baguette. Food is available at any of the outlets available to the year group your child is in. If your child would like food options at breaktime, then you will need to top up their dinner accounts with additional funds.

If you believe your child may be entitled to a free school meal, then please see the information below regarding application. It is easy to do and not only will your child benefit from a free meal, they will also benefit through our pupil premium offer. This may involve help with trips, uniform, resources and music lessons, as well as targeted support where required.

What are the eligibility criteria?

Children are entitled to receive free school meals if they or their parents or guardians receive any of the benefits below.

Universal Credit, provided they have an annual net earned income not exceeding £7,400 (£616.67 per month)
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guarantee element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit, provided they are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by HMRC
Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

If you think you might be eligible for free school meals, submit an online claim to Gloucestershire County Council via the link: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/education-and-learning/school-transport-and-free-school-meals/apply-for-free-school-meals

If you are unable to do this, please contact the Business Manager at the school for a form to complete. The information you provide will be used to check if you are in receipt of a qualifying benefit and, if you are on Universal Credit and that your earnings do not exceed the threshold. If you claim Universal Credit, your earnings will be assessed from up to three of your last Universal Credit assessment periods.

If you are eligible, the school will be notified by the local authority. Your child will receive free school meals and the school will receive extra funding to meet this provision.

Most people won’t be affected by the new criteria. If you’re currently claiming free school meals, but don’t’ meet the new criteria, your child will continue to receive free school meals until the end of the Universal Credit rollout period. This will apply even if your earnings rise above the new threshold or if you stop being entitled to Universal Credit. The rollout period is currently scheduled to end in March 2022.

Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, your child will keep their free school meal until the end of their current phase of education, i.e. primary or secondary.

Where can I get more information?

If you need any further information, please speak to the Business Manager at the school, Mrs Debbie Wardlaw or Gloucestershire County Council. You can also visit the free school meal website: https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals